Hawaii Pacific University Admission
Hawaii Pacific University Undergraduate Program
Hawaii Pacific University Application

The Facts

Hawaii Pacific University is a moderately sized, private institution located in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii, and is home to over 4,000 undergraduate students and approximately 4,000 graduate and part-time professional students. The students are able to take classes in one of the six undergraduate or the graduate school, which offer academic programs in the areas of the liberal arts, business, computer science, marine science, nursing, as well as travel industry management. (which makes sense for Hawaii...) These academic divisions offer broad majors in the areas of biological science (which includes the renowned program of marine science), business (a large program that offers programs in management and tourism), communications and the arts, computer and physical science (which includes a wonderful oceanography program), education, engineering and environmental design (which includes a unique program in military science), health professions, and the social sciences. HPU offers its students a wide variety of majors in both the liberal arts and preprofessional studies; however, some of the most popular choices are marine biology, nursing, computer science, and management.

Admission to Hawaii Pacific University is only mildly competitive, but the amount of qualified students applying has been increasing with each passing admissions cycle. Last year, over 2,710 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 2,195 of those students were accepted; of those, about 600 matriculated. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1040 to 1100, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 23 to 29. Additionally, more than 65% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about a 3.7.

Hawaii Pacific University has a manageable student to faculty ratio of 18:1, and it is actually rare to find a class with more than 20 students. There usually are no lecture courses, and students get a chance to get their voice heard in nearly all of their classes. In general, students give their professors high marks for accessibility and willingness to help them whenever they may need assistance

The Social Scene

The city of Honolulu is vibrant, and always has something going on, not to mention that tropical weather graces the island year-round. Outdoor activities abound, and are very popular with students; surfing, hiking, rock climbing, boating, fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, are some of the preferred activities, just to name a few. The school doesn’t have an fraternities or sororities, but this doesn’t seem to bother students one bit, as they don’t seem to have a problem finding social activities in which to partake. There are over 85 student groups and organizations and activities that run the gamut from social service groups to a newspaper.

The dating scene is full of very attractive possibilities; we hear that buff surfer boys and girls make up the majority of the population...

What’s Good

“You couldn’t ask for a better location; we go to school in a vacation destination!”

“People here are really laid back, and know how to strike a balance between work and play.”

“The campus is really, really pretty; the buildings are really up-to-date and are being constantly upgraded even more.”

What’s Bad

“Even though you’re in an amazing place, you can start to get a little stir-crazy when you realize you’re actually on an island.”

“Sometimes it’s really difficult to focus on your studies and remember that you are here to go to school.”

“The dorms are way too small for anyone to inhabit sanely.”

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